Improving soil health is an important goal for many farmers, but in dryland systems it must be carefully balanced with
Balancing Soil Improvement and Crop Production in Dryland Systems
Fallow systems are often criticized for not contributing to soil improvement, particularly when compared to practices such as cover cropping
Fallow vs Cover Crops: Why Yield Still Favors Fallow in Some Cases
In semi-arid agriculture, water is the most limiting factor for crop production. Rainfall is often irregular, and soil moisture can
Managing Water Use Is Key in Semi-Arid Cropping Systems
Many farmers are told that increasing soil organic carbon (SOC), a key component of soil organic matter (SOM), will automatically
Why Soil Carbon Does Not Always Improve Crop Yield in Semi-Arid Systems
Farm investment decisions are often guided by assumptions rather than evidence, especially in contexts where data are limited or unreliable.
Using Evidence, Not Assumptions, to Evaluate Farm Investments
Agricultural research has generated a wide range of technologies that demonstrably improve yields, resource efficiency, and environmental outcomes under experimental
Why Proven Agricultural Technologies Often See Low Adoption Rates
In agricultural research and extension messaging, yield improvement is often presented as the primary indicator of success. Higher yields are
Why Yield Gains Do Not Always Translate to Higher Farmer Profits
Agricultural “best practices” are typically developed under controlled research station conditions and promoted as universally applicable solutions. These practices often
Why “Best Practices” Often Fail Outside Research Stations
Crop diversification is widely promoted as a strategy to improve resilience, stabilize yields, and enhance farm sustainability. By growing multiple
Crop Diversification: Evidence, Trade-Offs, and Practical Limits
Yield gaps are commonly used to describe the difference between actual farm yields and the yields considered achievable under optimal
Understanding Yield Gaps: Are Farmers Underperforming or Are Systems Constrained?
